CET scam: Court orders Rs. 50,000 compensation each to 50-students
What's the story
A special anti-corruption court has ordered compensation of Rs. 50,000 each to 50 students who were denied admission in professional colleges due to the Common Entrance Test (CET) scam that hit Jammu and Kashmir in 2012.
The compensation, awarded by Special Judge Anti-Corruption Yash Paul Bourney in his 382-page judgment, was given to 50 students as per the merit list.
Here are more details.
Information
Kingpin of scam sentenced to 16 years rigorous imprisonment
The kingpin of scam, then Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) Mushtaq Ahmad Peer, was sentenced to 16 years rigorous imprisonment while 49 others were convicted for offenses under various acts. Peer was slapped with a fine of Rs. 1cr.
Details
Who will get compensation?
The court's order regarding the compensation says:
"Out of the fine amount so realized, each of the candidates whose score was more than 90% in the academic side in the qualifying examination and had appeared in the CET 2012 and was within the next 50 candidates in the order of merit from the cut-off point, shall be paid Rs. 50,000 each as token compensation."
Information
Parents awarded 3 years rigorous imprisonment and Rs. 5L fine
"As of now parents haven't only failed in their nefarious mission and lost money which they paid but also have lost the berths illegally grabbed by their wards," the judge said, sentencing the parents to three years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs. 5L each.
Paper leak
Parents paid between Rs. 15L-23L to get leaked papers
It is pertinent to mention here that some of these 19 parents had paid amounts ranging between Rs. 15L and Rs. 23L to get the papers from Peer, through brokers, for securing admissions in MBBS course.
The court had a word of sympathy for 11 beneficiary students of the scam, saying they had just completed their teens and attained the age of majority.
Sentence
Students get 1 year of imprisonment
"Students (involved in scam) have also not spared a thought for their meritorious brethren who deserved these berths on account of their superior merit. In the process, they have not only been turned out but have also lost precious years of their careers besides being stigmatized forever," the court observed.
The court said they deserve special leniency and sentenced them to one-year imprisonment.